The Song Remembers When
RATING: PG
COUPLING: Buffy/Riley
SUMMARY: A/U - Riley has left Buffy, and this is 10 years into the
future.
DISCLAIMER: All BtVS characters belong to the wonderfully talented
mind of
Joss Whedon.
FEEDBACK: Pretty pretty please! I really hate to beg,but will .
SPOILERS: All of Season 5, and my own little universe.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is just something I did this morning in the
office, I'm not having a very productive day work wise! Anyway, I
heard this song this morning "The Song Remembers When" by Trisha
Yearwood and it got the wheels turning.
Riley stood in the gas station waiting to pay for the gas he'd
just purchased, when he hear the song on the radio start. It was an
old Trista Yearwood song. As he stood there listening, his mind did
as it was ordered, he found himself thinking about Buffy and his
time in Sunnydale. Buffy Summers. Now there was someone he hadn't
really thought about in awhile.
He was pulled from his thoughts as the young kid handed him his
change.
"Thanks." He said automatically and turned around and left. Buffy
Summers.
I was standing at the counter
I was waiting for the change
When I heard that old familiar music start
It was like a lighted match
Had been tossed into my soul
It was like a dam had broken in my heart
Getting into his Lexus he fumbled with his radio trying to find the
station the kid had been listening to. Somewhere in the last 10
years he'd left his country music ways behind, and now found himself
listening to what the music industry called 'Adult Contemporary'. As
he flipped the station he found Trista's voice speaking to his soul.
How had did she know how he felt? After leaving Sunnydale behind 10
years ago and moving to Virginia his whole life had changed, a fact
that was not lost on him. Anything to leave the pain behind, and her
memory.
After taking every detour
Getting lost and losing track
So that even if I wanted
I could not find my way back
After driving out the memory
Of the way things might have been
After I'd forgotten all about us
The song remembers when
He thought about how his life had detoured from his original plan.
His dream of a successful Military career had died the night he
helped save Oz. Looking back now, he knew in his heart, that if
called upon,he would do it again. What the Initiative had become,
was not what he'd signed on for. So he fought side by side with
Buffy and her gang, turning his back on the military and his friends.
Today he grateful that Graham and the agency had forgiven him for
turning his back on them. It still tore at his heart that he hadn't
been able to apologise to Forrest. Now at 34 years of age, he still
found himself thinking about Forrest daily, it was hard not to since
he worked with Graham everyday. The two were the proud partners of
a successful International Security Consulting firm that saw each of
their bank accounts with balances over the six figure mark. Riley
now ran the business side of things, from their offices in Boston.
His wife Claire had died in a car accident 2 years ago, leaving him
to raise their 3 daughters. Though he mourned her loss, he'd moved on
to raise his children to the best of his ability. So the reality of
the situation was, he'd had no time to think about the beautiful
blonde who'd broke his heart into a million pieces 10 years ago. Yet
then why was this song doing it.
We were rolling through the Rockies
We were up above the clouds
When a station out of Jackson played that song
And it seemed to fit the moment
And the moment seemed to freeze
When we turned the music up and sang along
He found it disconcerting to be thinking about Buffy suddenly. The
day he'd boarded the plane with Graham, Riley decided to leave
Sunnydale and Buffy in his past. Thoughts of her were buried amongst
other memories that he'd buried deep in dark corners of his mind.
Occasionally he'd see a certain shade of blonde hair or a laugh and
she'd enter his mind briefly, but it was just a fleeting thought.
Why now was this song drudging up painful old memories? Memories of
happier times, when he'd wanted to stop time so he'd always have
those moments. Days they'd spent at the beach, when they should have
been in class or studying. Frat parties, where he'd hold her proudly
by his side, as other guys checked her out. Holding her in his arms
as they danced to some song or other. The tickle fights, that would
turn into marathon love making sessions. But lastly the simple
moments of watching her sleep peacefully in his arms or watching her
chew on her pen as she read something from a textbook. The little
things were the memories that hurt the most.
And there was a God in Heaven
And the world made perfect sense
We were young and were in love
And we were easy to convince
We were headed straight for Eden
It was just around the bend
And though I have forgotten all about it
The song remembers when
The final days of their relationship when he'd realised that Buffy
would never love him. Then finally the day, when he'd left her
behind. With not even a backwards glance, he walked out of her life
for good. He could still hear her calling his name, begging for him
to stop and look at her. He could hear the pain in her voice, even
her desperation, but he didn't hear love. It killed him to do this,
but he knew neither of them would be happy if he stayed with her.
Eventually they'd start resenting each other, and it would end badly.
At first she'd called Graham crying, begging him to tell her where
Riley was. Graham had refused to help her, telling her Riley was
better off without her. Letters would arrive at the apartment
addressed to Riley, but Graham would always return them to sender.
Eventually the letters and calls became less frequent, then they
stopped all together. She'd moved on it seemed.
I guess something must have happened
And we must have said goodbye
And my heart must have been broken
Though I can't recall just why
The song remembers when
Riley found himself sitting in his car staring up at his house. The
Christmas lights twinkled in the evening, and he smiled thinking of
all the great Christmases he'd spent with Claire and the kids in the
old house. Now he hoped they could make new memories in this new
house. He saw the front door open and saw Sam, his children's
nanny,standing in the front doorway.
"Dr. Finn? Are you coming in?" she called with her perfect British
accent, that made him think of Giles.
"Coming." He called to her as he closed the car door and headed up
to the house.
"I'm sorry for rushing you, but I have a date tonight." She smiled
apologetically at him.
"Don't worry Sam. I do still remember what it's like to be young."
He chuckled at her.
"Thank you. Jordan is at a sleepover at Amanda's. You'll have to
pick her up at 10:00 tomorrow for her dance lesson. Tristan and Hope
have both been had dinner, bathed and are waiting for their daddy to
read them their bed time story. Don't forget that Tristan has that
birthday party tomorrow afternoon at Wendy's. The present is on the
table. Remind Mrs. Weston that Tristan has that allergy to nuts."
Sam said all this without taking a single breath, and Riley just
smiled at the red head in front of him, as he remembered another red
head from his past. Willow.
"Not a problem, Sam. Enjoy your date and weekend off. I'll see you
Sunday night."
"Good night Dr. Finn." She smiled and picking up her suitcase and
prepared to walk out the door.
"Oh, I almost forgot. Mr. Miller called and said that the Columbian
problem has been dealt with. He'll be back tomorrow afternoon. And
to remind you, that you and the girls are suppose to meet him for
dinner tomorrow night. Do you mind me asking you something, Dr.
Finn?"
Riley just smiled at his nanny and nodded his head. He'd grown to
think of Sam as part of the family and truly counted on her to help
raise his daughters. He just wished she'd start calling him Riley.
Nobody called him Dr. Finn anymore, not since he'd quit teaching.
"Sure? Why didn't Mr. Miller marry? Is he gay or something?" she
asked tentatively.
Riley threw his head back and laughed. The world's famous lover boy,
Graham Miller gay! Now that was funny.
"No Sam, he's not gay. I assume he hasn't hit on you then." Riley
said as he'd finally managed to get control of himself. Sobering he
continued. His warning to Graham, to stay away from the nanny must
have worked.
"No, he's not. Graham use to care about a young woman when we were
in college, but by the time he finally got up the nerve to do
something about it?" He said letting the rest of the story drop.
Graham at one time had, had such a crush on Willow, that it took
every bit of coaxing from him and Buffy to ask her out. By the time
he'd gotten around to it, she was with Tara. Graham had been broken
hearted at the time, promising himself he'd never let that happen
again. So instead he left town. Deciding to just stay a fun loving,
no strings attached bachelor. Sure, Claire had tried her everything
to set him up, but he'd always managed to avoid her attempts.
"Oh." She said smiling slightly.
"Once again, have a nice weekend Sam." Riley said turning to go find
his young daughters.
"Oh yes! There are two other messages by the phone in the kitchen.
The woman said it was important that you call her." Sam said before
heading out the door.
"Important eh? Not as important as my two little mermaids." Riley
said to himself, dropping his brief case on the chair by the door.
He pulled his suit jacket off and dropped it over the banister, and
headed towards the kitchen for a cold beer.
"Yeah, that's right. Drink away any thought of Buffy!" he snorted.
At that moment he wished Graham was already home, he felt the need to
talk.
Walking into the kitchen he switched the light on trying to loosen
his tie at the same time. He opened up the fridge door, pulling out
a beer and a piece of cold chicken. Twisting the cap off the beer,
he dropped the lid in the garbage can under the sink. He sat down
at the breakfast bar and took a mouthful of beer and he thought about
Buffy. Her beautiful smile, and the way her hazel eyes would crinkle
up when she'd smile. He found himself wondering what she'd look
like now. Smiling as he tried to picture her in his mind's eye, he
knew he was in trouble, dreaming about a girl from his past! He had
two little girls up stairs waiting for their daddy to read them their
bed time story.
Well, for all the miles between us
And for all the time that's passed
You would think I haven't gotten very far
And I hope my hasty heart
Will forgive me just this once
If I stop to wonder how on Earth you are
Riley shook his head and reached for the messages that sat by the
phone. Taking another sip of beer, he almost choked on it when he
read the name. Willow Rosenberg.
Both messages read the same way. "Riley please call, it's important!
Willow." Riley looked at the two messages and then her phone
number. He could feel himself reaching for the receiver when he heard
a little voice behind him.
"Daddy, are you coming to read to us?" Riley pulled his hand back
from the receiver, rubbing it as if he'd been burnt. He turned to
see his 4 year old daughter Tristan standing there in her p.j.'s..
"Sure thing, angel girl!" He said scooping down to pick her up.
Looking into her cute little face he saw his own blue eyes staring
back at him. His girls were his life now. Willow would have to wait
until they were safety in bed.
"Piggy back daddy." She squealed as Riley headed up the stairs with
her.
But that's just a lot of water
Underneath a bridge I burned
And there's no use in backtracking
Around corners I have turned
Still I guess some things we bury
Are just bound to rise again
For even if the whole world has forgotten
The song remembers when
Yeah, and even if the whole world has forgotten
The song remembers when
The story continues in chapter 2
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